ESPN has gotten into the blogging game this college football season, assigning writers by conference. The ACC was landed Ms. Heather Dinich, an Indiana grad who’s covered the Big Ten and most recently worked for the Baltimore Sun.
Dinich self-admittedly has taken some shots at the Miami Hurricanes. Ranking them seventh in the ACC power poll is forgivable for an outsider, but her credibility took a hit when she ranked Maryland third, calling them a ‘darkhorse’ – the same Terps bunch many have picked dead last in the Atlantic division.
Last week Dinich gave some predictions for 2008 and when it came to to the Canes, she said “somebody at Miami will win rookie of the year… but somebody else will be ineligible or in trouble”.
Could Dinich be anymore cliche, while also stating the obvious? ESPN ranked Miami’s most recent recruiting class No. 1 in the nation, so calling for a ‘rookie of the year’ with the Canes talent-starved offense is hardly going out on a limb.
At one point, Sam Shields was said to possibly be ineligible (grades) but Randy Shannon squashed out that notion in a recent press conference. Safe to say Dinich went for the easy lay up, assuming Shields was still in the doghouse.
As for the cheap shot regarding a troublemaker, it’s 2008, not 1988, darlin’. Dinich covers Florida State for the ACC, yet never a stab at St. Bobby Bowden and his merry band o’ thugs – yet quick to point the finger of blame at the Canes.
All of which makes today’s column that much more surprising. Dinich gave credit where credit was due today, regarding The U and academics:
“Since I came down hard on Randy Shannon earlier this month for having a handful of players who were struggling to qualify, it’s only fair I report the good news, too.
This just came in from Miami’s sports information department:
– Of the 23 seniors on this year’s squad, 13 have already earned degrees, while the remaining 10 are all on course to graduate either in December of 2008 or May of 2009.
– In 14 of the past 16 years, Miami’s graduation rate far exceeded the national average of the American Football Coaches Association’s member schools. Since 1991,
UM’s average AFCA graduation rate is 71.52 percent, well ahead of the national average of 58 percent.
– This past spring, the NCAA released its annual Academic Progress Report (APR), and the Hurricanes football team scored 969, the eighth-highest mark out of the 119 Bowl Sub-division football programs.
– Last season, Miami had 12 early graduates — the second-highest total nationally behind Boston College.
Kudos to the Canes.”
Regarding that ‘handful of players who were struggling to qualify’, like most media vultures, Dinich jumped the gun. ESPN’s talk of eight signees not making the grade, now looks like upwards of three headed to prep school as Gavin Hardin, C.J. Holton, Andrew Smith, Ben Jones, Jeremy Lewis and Joe Wylie are all officially on campus.
Nothing like that late breaking news that several Canes won’t qualify and then barely a retraction when the majority of them do.
While today’s blurb doesn’t make up for two months of cheap-shotting the Canes, at least Dinich finally reported the truth, proving that Shannon and staff aren’t running a football factory.
Side note… our buddy Lamar Thomas has been hired as an assistant coach at Boynton Beach High, reuniting with his former Gainesville High coach Rick Swain. Congrats to LT and in honor of this Canes graduation-themed post, we wanted to show one of our all-time favorite Canes a little bit o’ love regarding his recent graduation from The U.
Heather has no idea what she’s talking about. I can’t even stand reading her crap.
Last week in the tampa Tribune, a so-called political columnist named Daniel Ruth took a shot at the Canes while writing about John Gotti Jr., with a line that read something like, “the only people more familiar with mug shots would be the Miami Hurricanes.”
I took the time to offer my opinion of his garbage (below), never got a response. Wish I would have had those graduation numbers when I did.
Mr. Ruth,
I am an avid reader and admirer of your work over the years. However, your reference to the University of Miami football team in your “Junior” column today was disturbing to me. It was just another of the many undeserved cheap-shots offered up by not only your newspaper, but the media in general towards the Miami program.
Tim Tebow IS Christ Almighty though, let’s make no mistake about that.
True, Miami has had more than it’s share of off-field problems over the years, but I am sure research would have shown that the vast majority of those were many years ago. It is unfortunate that in the media and public perception, nothing has changed in Coral Gables. They are all still the same “thugs” that everyone has forever been told repeatedly or imagined they were. No matter how clean this program has been in recent history, they find themselves continually painted by the broad brush of the media as “insert favorite derogatory inner-city term of the day here”. How about “thugs”?
After the 2005 Peach Bowl against L.S.U., a fight broke out in the tunnel after the game. Immediately, it was broadcast at length that this was once again “Thug U” on display. In reality, L.S.U. players stole a game ball from a Miami ball-boy as the teams were leaving the field. Andrew Bain and Khalil Jones went to retrieve the ball and were beaten and knocked unconscious by helmet wielding L.S.U. players. Both were taken to the hospital. No-one ever got around to reporting this to the nation though, only that once again Miami was a bunch of “thugs”.
If you looked at comparisons between the recent history of this program with those of Florida, Florida State, or even our beloved local Bulls football programs, then you may be surprised to find that Miami has had nowhere near the amount of arrests or incidents that these schools have had.
Heck,,, “you can’t watch em all the time, by golly”,, eh Bobby??
Brain Pata, shot in the back of the head walking AWAY from a confrontation,,,,, he’s a “thug”. Sean Taylor, shot and killed defending his family from intruders,,,, clearly a “thug”.
At Penn State, from 2002–2008, 46 players were charged with 163 counts, an average of 3.5 counts per player. Forty-five of the 163 counts brought a conviction or plea. Of the 46 players charged, 27 were found or pleaded guilty. In 2007 alone, 17 players were charged with 72 crimes. Nine were found or pleaded guilty.
All Paterno could say was that he was concerned that the depth of the analysis into his program suggested a witch-hunt.
Randy Shannon has done an outstanding job of weeding out the undesirables and those who lack the focus he seeks in student athletes. No less than eight Hurricanes were named to the 2006 A.C.C. Academic Football All-American team, including that ever-popular Peach Bowl “thug”, Andrew Bain.
I realize how easy it must be when one is compiling a column to sit and muse, “let’s see now,,, who can I compare “Junior” posing for mug shots with,,,,,, hmmmmmm, I GOT it,,, Miami Football.”
Sad that this group of kids trying so hard to shake the labels of the past are not allowed that luxury due to those who are not really aware of the truth or could care less. Sort of like the Bush Administration (pardon the oxymoron) labeling all those who disagree with their policies, GODLESS LIBERALS.
I do honestly enjoy reading your work though, and your responses to your reader’s rants are great stuff. I know this may be scary for you and for that I apologize, but I find that I am aligned with most of your thoughts and views regarding the powers that be in Tallahassee and Washington. Keep up the great work.
Sincerely,
JMG – Love the point about the Penn State kids. Talk about another bunch that gets a free pass because of Paterno. It’s a joke what they get away with up there, yet the smallest infraction at Miami is put under the microscope and becomes national news. I still can’t believe how much pub that 7th Floor Crew rap tape got a few years back. Front page news on ESPN.com, but this PSU stuff is something you’ll miss on the ticker if you blink.
Dou-ble Stan-dard.
I don’t know if any of you guys have read an article at the palm beach post about how Randy Shannon becoming a Ron Zook type of coach, who can recruit but can not win games. Let me say something about it, this is ridiculous. Did you see Ron Zook basically change over a program in one year? Did Zook kick off the players who weren’t on the same page with him? How about basically strip the names off the jerseys to put emphasis on team? Coach Shannon did more than Zook did for the Gators, with no disrespect to Ron Zook. RS doesn’t waste time with his players, he put the blueprint down and begin drilling the next day. Sure RS might not be a players coach, but he’s a role model. He teaches the players more than just x’s and o’s. Ron Zook never went through what RS did during his life, so why should RS be in the same sentence as Zook? This just show how all of the Canes’ local writers are doubting the what RS is doing. I don’t have a doubt in my mind on what RS is trying to do and I hope you true Canes fans feel the same.
U305
To ANYONE who expected Coach Shannon to put this program in an NCAA College Football microwave in one year and come out with Baked Alaska,,, I would say kindly, STFU.
How can any sane person come to any conclusions or comparisons of Shannon to the Zooker in that regard after only one season? It is, at best, a fairly unintelligent comparison. If these folks are getting paid any money whatsoever for this dribble,, I needs me a job applimikayshun.
It gets to the point that after a while, these “opinions” are not worth the time and effort to read anymore.
My mindset has become,,, “you’re right,,, we aren’t worth a crap,,,, we suck,,,, we’ll never get any better,,,,,,, and by the way,,, pardon us, but if you don’t mind, we plan to line up on Saturdays and play our schedule they way we are being taught right now.”
I’m disappointed in those articles where the writers were doubting the Canes. The only writer that truly cares about the Canes is Manny, like allcanes said. RS is a great coach. He turn around the whole program’s attitude in a little over a year. And that is amazing. Like I said, Zook is a great coach, but Shannon is way better than him, no question.
I’ll cut her some slack because last week she wrote a story saying Miami would have the second best team in the ACC come Basketball season. (A distant second behind UNC who could run the table this year in the league.)
Seventh, I’ll actually take. I’ll take 4-4 in the ACC and a Bowl game. People may have poo poohed the Boise game two years ago but in our downward cycle I’ll take anything positive. If we can win in College Station and then go 4-4 in the league, we’ve turned the tables on the negative cycle and are headed in the right direction again.
Last year we basically finished 11th in the league at 2-6. 7th is a major improvement.